Archives for January 2009

Must. Talk. About. The Bachelor.

6 January 2009 by

I just watched last night’s episode of “The Bachelor.”

I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS.

And I will present them in a numbered format at this juncture, oh thank you.

1) In examining the hairstyles of this season’s contestants, I noticed that there was a decided lack of bangs. A few of the girls had sideswept bangs, but there weren’t any Reese Witherspoon-ish bangs in the bunch. Was this some sort of hair anomaly? Or are bangs out? Or did the producers just want to make sure we had ample opportunity to wonder if some of the girls had been dabbling in the Botox? The mind boggles.

2) In general I think it’s probably bad form to meet a large group of strangers and throw down some compound curse words right off the bat. Might not be the best first impression. I mean, I’ll be the first to admit that I participated in some extensive curse word-related experimentation in my 20s, but I like to think that I would have stopped short of venturing into compound curse word territory on national television. Not that I was ever on national television, you understand. So I have no way of proving my hypothetical compound curse word restraint. But still.

3) When contemplating one’s options for cocktail attire that is to be worn on a reality television program (for some reason I want to type “programme,” because as we all know, I am deeply British), I feel it is wise and prudent – and here is where I must tread very carefully – to, um, make sure you can, um, you know, handle what you’re wearing. Because certain styles of cocktail dresses limit your undergarment options. And supportive undergarments? ARE YOUR FRIEND.

Which is to say: this is one instance where there’s no shame at all in being BOUND UP. And maybe – just maybe – the plunging neckline isn’t the best option. Just imagine the freedom of being able to lean forward! Or bend over! Or walk without worrying about whether or not one of your girls has escaped her flimsy, non-supportive perimeter!

BIND ‘EM UP.

4) What’s up with DeAnna showing up again? Anybody know what that’s about? Other than being a set-up for THE MOST DRAMATIC “Bachelor” EPISODE EVER?

5) I love it when the producers try to throw us “Bachelor” curve balls. First they sent out the voting-box-of-doom, and then they pulled the old switcheroo in terms of what they did with the results. Every installment gets a little bit more like a game show. Next season I will not be at all surprised if the ladies have to spin some sort of ginormous wheel and then compete in a Showcase Showdown.

On a group date. In a foreign country. While riding horses on the beach.

Filed Under: TV Is My Friend

Linky Interwebby Awesomeness 01.06.09

6 January 2009 by

– How much do I love Antique Mommy’s post about finding joy? I LOVE IT TIMES A MILLION.

– Jon’s starting a book club. I know that some of you people like to read books and – this is huge – EVEN FINISH THEM, so I thought you might want to check it out.

– Missy has written a post about how she met her husband, and it made me so happy when I read it. I think it’ll make you happy, too.

Filed Under: Daily Awesome

Chocolate Gravy, Oh My Word

5 January 2009 by

Even though I grew up in the South, I’d never heard of chocolate gravy until a couple of years ago when a guy at our church asked me if I’d ever tried any.

And I’m not positive, but I believe my response was something along the lines of “WHATCHOCOHUH?”

My friend explained that his grandmother had made chocolate gravy for years; it was their family’s favorite biscuit topping. And all I could think was that if I lived in a world where it was possible for gravy to be made with chocolate, then some sort of cheesecake syrup should be our nation’s next collective culinary goal.

Why, you ask?

Because, my friends, I believe in this country, this land of opportunity, this place where we like to take two unhealthy foods and mix them together until we’ve created a new food that is tastier and, lo, even more unhealthy.

God Bless America.

Anyway, I’d never actually tried chocolate gravy until a sweet friend made some for breakfast on New Year’s Day, and honestly, I cannot think of a finer way to start 2009. It was beyond delicious and just the teensiest bit life-changing. Plus, it opens up a whole new breakfast avenue – Dessert Biscuit Avenue, to be more precise – and I cannot wait to make it and serve it alongside All The Bacon we plan to eat in 2009.

I feel like I should wave an American flag or something.

Chocolate Gravy

1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Hershey’s cocoa (you can use 1 Tbs. regular and 1 Tbs. dark if you like)
2 tablespoons self-rising flour
3/4 cup hot water
3/4 cup milk

Optional:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a skillet, mix flour and cocoa and sugar. Turn heat to medium.

Slowly add the hot water, a little at a time. Keep stirring this paste until the sugar dissolves.

Slowly add in the milk. When completely mixed, turn up the heat to medium high.

Stir constantly until desire thickness is reached. Add butter and vanilla; keep warm on low until the biscuits are done.

(For gravy that is less like syrup and more like pudding, add 3 tablespoons flour and use only milk.)

COME ON, NOW.

And this recipe is in the Siesta Fiesta Cookbook – so if you have one of those, you’re good to go.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to make some soft tacos for supper.

Perhaps I will batter and deep fry them as an homage to my Southern cooking heritage.

Amen.

Filed Under: Cooking

Linky Interwebby Awesomeness 1.05.09

5 January 2009 by

– Over at Toddled Dredge, Veronica’s brother-in-law wrote an absolutely beautiful post entitled The Tenth Day of Christmas: The Eyes of the Blind Shall Be Opened. Veronica denies it, but I’m fairly certain that entrance into her family requires a mandatory writing exam. They’re a talented bunch.

– Melanie has a great post up over at AllAccess.

– Less than one week until this (I finally watched the movie over the weekend, and I believe I’m overinvested emotionally already).

And less than two weeks until this.

My joy, it knows no bounds.

Filed Under: Daily Awesome

Perhaps This Is Why I Don’t Scrapbook

2 January 2009 by

We spent New Year’s Eve with some friends we don’t get to see as much as we’d like, and I took my camera along for the festivities because I figured there would be some hilarious moments to document and treasure forever and for always.

And there were. There were tons of hilarious moments to document. There were marathon spades games that lasted until three in the morning. There were marathon Wii tournaments that lasted until a couple of five year-olds hit rock bottom and entered melt-down mode. There was lots of singing. There was a five pound Hershey’s bar.

There was homemade beef & broccoli and fried rice and salad and cheesecake, and then, around 1:30 in the morning, there was more beef & broccoli and fried rice and cheesecake. There were biscuits and chocolate gravy (YES. I SAID “CHOCOLATE GRAVY.” HALLELUJAH.) and bacon (BACON!) and this whipped honey butter stuff that flat-out rocked my world.

And then there were more cards and more laughs and more Wii games and more fun and by late New Year’s afternoon you have never seen a group of people who were more tired and more full.

And do you know how many pictures I snapped?

One.

UNO.

So here is my lone photographic memory of our 24-hour fun-a-thon.

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For what it’s worth, it was the best guacamole I’ve ever eaten.

Happy 2009, everybody. May your new year be filled with, among other things, plenty of delicious avocados.

You’re welcome and amen.

Filed Under: Family Fun
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